Greene Is Fast, but Gets a Little Help

Maurice Greene, who says he will break the world 100-meter record this year, tied it Friday night in the USA Championships at New Orleans, but his 9.84-second clocking won’t count because of a prevailing wind.

Greene matched the mark set by Canada’s Donovan Bailey in the 1996 Olympics. However, a wind reading of 3.3 meters per second, or 7.38 mph, negated the mark, which came in a quarterfinal heat.

Greene ran even faster on May 31 at Eugene, Ore., clocking 9.79 in the Prefontaine Classic. A strong wind also negated that time.

Marion Jones, the women’s 100 world champion, also ran two sizzling times in quarterfinal and semifinal heats at New Orleans. She won her opening race in a wind-aided 10.75, then equalled her legal best, 10.71, in the semis, breaking Gwen Torrence’s 1996 meet record of 10.82.

Chryste Gaines won the other semifinal in 10.96, matching her career best.

John Godina repeated as discus champion with a throw of 220 feet 1 inch.

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Three world record-holders, pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, hurdler Colin Jackson and marathon runner Tegla Loroupe, were among seven athletes added to the track and field competition for the Goodwill Games at New York, July 19-22.

Tennis

Jana Novotna won her quarterfinal, 6-4, 7-5, over fifth-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania at the Eastbourne grass-court tournament at Eastbourne, England.

Novotna then beat Natasha Zvereva of Belarus in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-1. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who beat Serena Williams, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the quarterfinals, was to have played Anna Kournikova but the Russian teenager withdrew to rest a right thumb injured in her quarterfinal victory over Steffi Graf.

Top-seeded Patrick Rafter won two matches to advance to the semifinals of the rain-delayed Heineken Trophy grass-court tournament at Rosmalen, Netherlands.

The Australian followed a tough second-round victory over Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), with a quarterfinal ride against Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, 6-1, 6-4.

Jurisprudence

Former Laker point guard Anthony Peeler filed a lawsuit claiming his former agent didn’t give him enough notice to renegotiate a contract or get traded before an option expired.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed Peeler, 28, would have earned more money if agent Erick Fleiser of New York and Entersport Management Inc. of New Canaan, Conn., had pursued the option.

Investigators are waiting to talk to Florida Marlin pitcher Livan Hernandez before deciding whether to charge him with beating his former girlfriend, ripping a gold chain off her neck and holding her against her will.

Hernandez, the MVP in last year’s World Series, will be questioned when he returns to Miami after games in New York and St. Petersburg.

Alina Elgarresta, 25, told officers that Hernandez ripped the chain off her neck during an argument over car keys last Saturday and that he had hit her in the past.

The sentencing of former Cal football player Mariet Ford, convicted in the killings of his pregnant wife and young son, was postponed at Sacramento after his attorney said he was pursuing new evidence in the case.

Motor Sports

Paul Tracy was suspended from today’s second day of qualifying for the Budweiser-G.I. Joe’s 200 at Portland, Ore., the first time a driver has been banned from any competition in the 20-year history of Championship Auto Racing Teams.

CART said Tracy had taken an “unjustifiable risk” that led to a crash in Friday’s first round of qualifying, his fifth crash this season. He also was fined $20,000.

Seeking to become the first driver to win the Pocono 500 three years in a row, Jeff Gordon sped around Pocono International Raceway at 168.042 mph to easily win his fourth pole this year.

Miscellany

A Superior Court judge has stopped a petition drive to overturn voter approval of a new stadium and mall complex for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Judge Raymond Williamson said that opponents of the stadium project had included “flat-out untruths” in their petition.

Supporters of a new football stadium for the Arizona Cardinals announced plans for a $1.5-billion complex, including a domed stadium, convention center, 4,000 hotel rooms and residential areas along the Salt River east of Phoenix.

The East Valley Partnership, the organization pushing for a domed stadium for the Cardinals, said a 20-year, quarter-cent sales tax in Mesa and Tempe would fund parts of the 900-acre complex. It would be subject to a public vote.

The International Skating Union will develop revenue-producing competitions open to professionals and amateurs alike, President Ottavio Cinquanta said at Stockholm. But from now on, skaters who compete outside the ISU will lose their eligibility for Olympic and world championship medals.

Mark Golter, 28, of Laguna Beach, was skateboarding down a hill in preparation for the ESPN X Games and was struck by a hit-and-run dump truck. He was taken to a San Diego hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.

Former Miami of Ohio assistant Ray Martin was hired as basketball coach at Long Island University.

Martin succeeds Ray Haskins, who resigned last month.